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4- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, October 31, 1995 "Scugog's Community Newspapsr of Choice" H..omen The Eve of All Saints' Day -- when the ghost and goblins come out to play. But for spirits the calendar does not have to read October 31 tomake an appearance --- at least not in Scugog. Whether or not youbelieve in spirits or another world of the living, most will admit the stories are interesting and entertaining and can make you question your beliefs. They can even send a shiver down = your spine. Scugog has its share of pheno- menons, ranging from an old lady who pays friendly visits to a local restaurant and a vagrant who calls a local historical building home to a headless motorcycle rider who travels the Mississauga Trail by night. In celebration of October 31 we will rekindle a few of Port Perry's best known tales of the spirit world. Before Niki Bainbridge purchased the Murray House, she worked at the local res- taurant, where she said strange occur- rences were a dime a dozen. She admits when she first worked there she was abit apprehensive of the ghost tales and refused to enter the basement of the building at night. Since buying the building she has made her peace, with the friendly ghost, and has come to terms with the bumps and crashes in the night. The Murray House hasbeen the setting of many television shows and documentaries, all relating to an old lady who wanders the rooms of the home. Ms. Bainbridge is not the only person to experience strange happenings in the Queen Street restaurant. Previous owners and tenants ofthe home all had their share of stories to tell, she said. The ghost seems to have first appeared in the 1970s when a young man lived in the home with his three children. While the kindly old woman would check on his children as they liein bed, she did not seem to be too fond of their father, Ms. Bainbridge said. The man would find the hot water running profuse- ly in the bath- room and shut it off, only to find it running again as soon as he left the / room. At one point he took a monkey ! { wrench and closed | the tap off, but again he found it running, | | A) \ she said. The man and his family were not long looking for another home torent. Ms. Bainbridge said too many things have happened for her not to believe in ghosts, including a face to face meeting. While stories have there being three ghosts that roam the restaurant, she has only seen two of them. The most common sighting is of an elderly woman with white hair. She is slim and is wearing what appears tobe along white apron. Ms. Bainbridge figures she is a former worker of the hotel, which the Murray House is built over. Aformer dishwasher at the restaurant called Niki one night horrified as he had just seen the old lady waiting on two oth- ers at Table 13. "He (the dishwasher) never came back, not even to pick up his paycheck," she said. The other middle age couple, also are said to visit the house. Ms. Bainbridge has N Ni "\ I N Nh \ By Kelly Lown met the man on one occassion, when he climbed into her bed, but aside from that they remain a mystery. Customers have also told Ms. Bainbridge of sightings. One day four women sitting at a table asked Niki who the older lady was that had just been in the room. "Ididn't see her, but I knew who they were talking about," she said. Another customer told Ms. Bainbridge that she saw a little girl perched on the stairs cuddling a Teddy Bear, when she entered the restaurant. She has also heard the stories about peo- ple passing by late at night and seeing can- dleslit and a woman standing in the window. Ms. Bainbridge has not seen the ghost in ayear and admits she's not sure if they are stillin the home, but she wouldn't be suprised to hear or see them again. She said they have been much calmer anyway since she brought a cat home. On three different occasions she has had psychics in who have shown the ghosts the way they are supposed to leave this world, but each time Ms. Bainbridge has seen them again. will Having spirits inhabit your restaurant does attract some custom- ers who insist on sitting at Table 13, while others have run like scared cats towards the door when hearing the tales of ghosts. %k ok xk The Town Hall 1873 hasn't been used as a county jail for more than a century, but one man still calls his jail cell home -- or so the legend goes. rh "WN os moons c #2 | Richard Drew is ~ Just ene of several peo- ple who have g heard the Coe strange rum- / blings in = theold B Town Hall. ----- a D0) i MIMD a 0 - AL od ER RRR \ \\ \ pe Los rr Yd "7 ~ 77 ~-------- Doors slamming, footsteps in rooms where there are no people and lights being turned off are just some of the reported occurrences. Mr. Drew had heard the stories about the Town Hall ghost before he became involved in a local theatre group. He said he has never been what you would call a disbeliever of "ghosts," but what happened one night about four years ago has con- vinced him someone, ghost or not, was in the building with him. Mr. Drew was upstairs, alone, painting a set for an upcoming show and it was reach- ing midnight. He turned, not wearing his prescription eyeglasses, to see someone standingon the stairs leading to the room he was in. Mr. Drew said "hello" to the per- son and continued with his work, assum- ingit was someone from the play or a member of the hall board. When the tall, dark figure didn't reply Mr. Drew went downstairs only to find the door locked and noone in sight. "Ido think it's possible (ghosts). I saw something, someone standing on the stairs. It could be (a ghost), it may not be, but I saw someone," he said. Many people who frequent the Town Hall have spoken of the strange footsteps, usually heard at night, when there are minimal people in the building. One woman, who was working late on the stage one night felt a presence and looked up to see a haggered old man stand- ing in the balcony. Ofthe people who are regular visitors to the Town Hall, more believe in the ghosts than don't, said Mr. Drew. - The legend has it that aman spent many nightsin the jail cell in the Town Hall in the late 1800s. The man would routinely break minor laws to be thrown into jail for the night. He did this often on cold nights when he needed a warm place to sleep and food in his stomach, according to town his- torian Paul Arculus. This man was brought in on New Year's Eve of 1891 in an intoxicated state. He was putin a cell for the night, but he never awoke. The legend is that this man is still living in the Town Hall jail where he spent somany of his nights. Aside from the footsteps and the epi- sodes with dimming lights, Mr. Arculus hasbeen told tales of people hearing the rattle of the jail cell door. There was also a time when the Bell Tower, no longer operational, would mys- teriously ring once at any given time. But, Mr. Arculus said there is no way of know- ing ifit was amouse, a prankster or the ghost of this man. * Xk 3k ' "Heartland", ahome located on ] haslongbeen the focus of tales of , ghosts and spirits. McBrien family in the late 1880s tothe early 1930s, is said McBriensiblings. The white and green home, is /] Albert, and belonged to a proli- fic family, Mr. Arculus said. fi ers served as the superintend- ent of schools, the other was the head professional musician who entertained the troops and it is believed the fourth Prince Albert home. According to Mr. Arculus, it is not just this ghost, but rather several people over the years. home and several have reported seeing a woman in a white dress standing at the top room to room, he said. *k ok ok Scugog Island a man rides his motorcycle every night. He is, depending on who is car that cut him off, or just reveling in the speed of the ride. Old Simcoe Street in Prince Albert The home, owned by the to be home to a ghost of one of the - one of the oldest in Prince One of the McBriens broth- ofthe RCMP of Canada. One sister was a sibling makes her mark as the ghost of this one family that has reported sightings of Anumber of people have lived in that of the stairs. She appears to walk from On alonely, dark stretch of road on telling the story, looking for revenge on a Turnto Page 16 NINE Ty a We hot A vy or I